A state of emergency has been declared in Amherst after a devastating fire displaced hundreds of UMass students this weekend.
The town of Amherst on Saturday night asked residents to stop all non-essential water use to help conserve water after firefighters poured over one million gallons of water as the Olympia Place building burned on Saturday.
The vast majority of residents in the building are UMass students, according to the university.
Amherst Town Manager Paul Bockelman says it will take several days for the town’s water levels to reach normal levels again.
Governor Maura Healey on Sunday spoke out regarding the massive fire.
In a statement on Facebook, Healey said “her heart goes out” to the students and residents displaced by the fire and said that UMass President Marty Meehan and Chancellor Javier Reyes have her full support.
“Thank you to the Amherst Fire Department, and all the crews and first responders on the scene. Grateful to the Red Cross, UMass staff and Town of Amherst for helping to find shelter for displaced students,” Healey said.
The blaze was first reported at the Olympia Place apartment complex on Olympia Drive in Amherst shortly before 8:30 p.m. on Friday, with callers alerting 911 that a building under construction was fully engulfed in flames, according to the Amherst Fire Department.
When firefighters arrived, they found the blaze had already spread to nearby buildings. One four-story building under construction collapsed, and others suffered partial collapses as the fire raged on.
A state fire mobilization task force was activated to relieve exhausted crews as they battled the flames into the early Saturday morning hours.
Photos and video from the scene showed flames shooting from the buildings as firefighters scrambled to bring the blaze under control.
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The town of Amherst has declared a state of emergency following the devastating blaze and is asking residents to stop all non-essential water use to help conserve water for firefighter operations.
Around 230 residents were displaced by the fire and no injuries were reported.
An on-campus Emergency Resource Center, staffed by the university and the Red Cross, was established on Saturday, November 8.
The vast majority of residents in the building are UMass students, according to the university.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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